Electric-battery anode.



W. GROTHE.

ELECTRIC BATTERY ANODE.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAYIs. IsIe.

Patented Dec. 17,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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IN1/EN TOR. WAL''EH GE TH By www ATTORNEY W. GROTHE.

ELECTRIC BATTERY ANODE.

APPLICATION FILED MAI/15.1916.

Patented Dec. l?, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NVENTOR.

WAQTBB GHB-THE TTORNEY W. GROTHE.

ELECTRIC BATTERY ANODE. APPLlATloN flu-:D MAY15.1916.

Patented Dec.17, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

, INI/EN TOR. WALTER GHDTHE .A TTORNE Y WALTER GROTHE, OF FREMONT, OHIO, ASSIGNOR', BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL CARBON COMP, INC., A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

ELECTC-BATTEBY NODE.

'i Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Dec. t?, l1918.

Application filed May 15, 1916. Serial No. 97,488.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, WALTER GRoTI-IE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State `of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in-Electric-Battery Anodes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric batteries, and while not limited thereto, it is particularlyadapted to copper oxid cells with alkaline electrolyte.

lt has been quite usual to make the zinc electrode of copper oxid cells in plate form with uniform thickness from side to side and gradually 'increasing thickness from bottom to top. With this construction the electrode, if made thin, dissolves in such a way as to let patches of zinc bulge toward the cathode or fall tothe bottom of the jar,

which in one case is liable tc short circuitv the cell and in the other results in a waste of zinc.

lt also has been proposed to surround the plate with a thick integral frame joined transversely by strengthening ribs.- The frame is designed to have sufficient metal to remain intact after the interior part of the plate has dissolved away and in this way it is intended that the frame hold the thin zinc patches from bulging or dropping onf. Plates with the frame around the edges are hard to die-cast, as the mold holds the frame and prevents it from shrinking with the thin interior web as the zinc cools. rlhis produces internal strains in the web that weaken the plate and quite frequently result in cracking. Such a plate also requires more zinc thanv is necessary to secure the desired results.

My invention is designed to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a side view of the anode or positive plate in my improvement.

lig. 2 is an edge view of the plate shown i 1. Fig? 3 is a section taken on the line A-A of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line B-B of Fig. 1.

Fi 5 is a side View of the plate shown in Fig. 1 with strengthening veins to reintorce the plate.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the preferred form of plate.

-7 is a view of the reverse side of the plate illustrated in Fig. 6.V

Fig. 8 is a top view of the plate shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 illustrates the general shape of the strengthening veins shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 10 is a modified form of plate without veins.

Fig. 11 is an edge view of the plate in Fig. 10. p

Fig. 12 is a view of a further mocation. F Fig. 13 is an edge view of the plate in ig. 12. v

Fig. 1t is a view of a plate with a Inced form of strengthening veins.

Fig. l5 shows a further modicaticn of strengthening veins.

Fig'. 16 is a modication of the general type of Fig. 1.

Fig. 17 is an edge view of the plate shown in Fig. 16.

I have found that it is preferable to have no thickened frame at the edges. 0n the contrary, it is' desirable to cut away or bevel the plate from the central portion toward the edges, se that the plates have thin edges. lf two similar zinc plates of uniform thickness be selected and one used as a cell anode directly while the other is irst beveled ed from the central part to the edges and then similarly used as an anode, the former will dissolve away in an irregular mannerk and shed. patches et zinc, while, the latter will dissolve substantially uniformly with very little shedding if properly beveled. rlhe beveling of the plate in this way not only reduces the amount 'of zinc used, but it also lengthens the life ot the cell on account of less shedding of zinc and freedom from short circuits.

l prefer to construct the plates with a plurality of slanting or beveled portions on either one or both of its side surfaces. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plate has a body portion of general mclination from the top to the bottom and integrally superposed on this are three other portions having maximum thickness at the lnterior. The' portion 1 slants from the bottom edge 2 upward to the point 3 which is preferably approximately the center of the plate though this may be varied if desired. The

s 7 'i'iengiiier cross section es two side portions 4 and 5 slant from the sides 6 and 7 respectively to the central line 8 in which -the point 3 is located. With `this arrangemen the plaie hes e. thin edge and gradually increases in lahielriness toward the central part.

The degree of ieper may of course very, depending iicon cireumsianees, but E have found hzit good results are obsained wih lhe oilowing velues in e. 5::7 rectangular plete. With respee; io the bottom plane 9-l {Fig/ 2) ell longiuclinel lines in ihe surface of portions 4 and 5, ihat is5 those firs-Wis parallel o the sides of the plaie 6 or i', may have e pieli of about .005 io .G96 of an inch per inch lengh. Riny longii'udinel line iii "ehe surface o portion l may here e pieli o sboui .C'l to .014i oie en inch per inch. Also, rensi'erse lines in he surface oic portion 5. thai is, those eieiiciing iii the direction of 'he top or hotom erige mi the piste, niej.' have a pitch of substanialiy .G39 to .012 oi an inch per ineh. @lr viously similar ieiisverse iines in por" he. e 'iie seine .iieh bue in ehe oppesi reotion.

"Wih the picii oi various pisser so he figures giiezi, "i find hsj iii eorrofles in sueh e wey es -o leere ei'ior o ehe ginie iiitec, 'Thot is, is consi i si ne edges ofi lie p llien iii oiher iiiierior poriio qiieriilj.' Very iii''ie Zine is deieriie electrode during iie life of eee ii niss. he unflersiood hai' ehe *en Clo not Corresp@ -f corrosion in die .i .iii order 'to insure mit ri he plaie Wiil remain fe nii/'en @isch velues greeer 'moule eori'esporid to such. he

riso slioiilo. gip iieelj; be euri-'erh molds 'Eo euri surfaces ere {hifi-onli fo ineke. so epm-@minare he 'cheorei'icel snrveins e eross section reeimigniir9 seniicirout i o maire .neem o? iliustre'eel more or less diagrammes-imi@ in Fig. eiso iii'd .it eeiveneegeous to taper i'he reins 12 end 13 unil hej; gradueily merge into iiie snrsee of )che plaie the Corners le and i (Fig. 5).

The preerre form of electrode plete is illusireiecl in ie'. ii. The mein body portion oi ehe plaie is huilt up or beif'eieri, portions 1i. i and 5 in the same wey es iieseri'oefi in reference io ihe modiiiesion sio'wn in Fig. i. Therieiwiiiar veins i6. if?. i8 sieri i9 are siiperlsos integrali;Y on eiriier sirle., but preilerehly iii .f should he plececi en the srie Wish ieeveled e osier.3

messie smooth side will be left to be placed next to the cathode to insure a uniform solutiongep. As shown in this figure, the lower veins 16 and l? lie outside of the intersecting lines 3-14 and 3-15. However, this een be varied Without departing from the spirit of the invention. The ridge lines of eech of ehe four tapering veins meet or interseot at the point 16 in the central axis of the plete.

The sirengthening veins ere of triangular cross section, es diegremmeticelly shown in 9, and preferably taper off toward each the four corners Where they merge into surface oit' the plete. in Fig. l0 the plaie is of wedge shape rom top io bottom, and has two bevel por- Aloris siiperposed on *ehis' that is. there is no meer bevel portion such as portion i of "52 l.. le Fig. lo there ere three beveled oi ions L i and 5 es in Fig. l, but ehe inanfi 3-15 of the bei ,di en:

sirie lines above the seme. The corrosion of `isis pise would be somewlmi; :is indicated by the dotted iiries 19.

Vihile ehe invenion is capable of use i.vii-li any -ype of battery, l prefer to `vise it vin soonest-ion with ehe cell. described in my oei-pending application, Serial No. o, February 5, i916.. `When iis-ed in such e cell i @ieee e. reinforcing portion 20 et ghe ripper @are ofi ehe plete where it is to be a'zeehed to its support by ineens o e bolt eine ihre-ugh che hole 2i. The reverse e 'the eine piste is recessed or countern to receive ehe sonneri referred is eieerly shown iii Figs. 7 end 8 @brise-.sly other modes of l ier: devised pli-ries involving 'eeiiires of ehe im'enzioii, and

ijff wey of exemple i have shown fiiiiereiit weis or nieinng ihe oorineciion is 5,

i6. i2 enel lli.

The sirengjhening 1':eiris me); he variously geel and. a number of iliiiereni' modifi- .nions here heee illiisirsef. in 'lie firews; le?" foe ai@ enti-riet suoli strenge- 3 -iior reins, or mij! oher., may iis-ed with oiz iie rariouslf-J beveled piees. u

i plaie eonsriicied es shown in Fig. 6 dissolves sway first si; the eelg'es, so that mininiinn trouble is experienced with fthe inierior peiehes shedding o. As corrosion proceeds ehe edges of he plaie in Figs. '1` i and i2 will assume more or less ourve. lines such :is 23, 24 and 25, end when the oeil is exhausted practically nothing will be ieri'. of lie eieeirode but the central poi-rien o the sier shaped siippert 'formed h1; ihe serengthenieg veins. Le i@ the "pluie wiil dissolve somewhat in accordance with iiie dotted line 26. ior this reason ii, is preferehie "oo use sreiig-iiening veins 'thai do in Fig. 14 for instance.

Zinc plates made in accordance with my invention give a visual indication of the state of exhaustion and are substantially free from shedding of zinc. Consequently the life of cells employing such electrode is materially increased and the cost of zinc at the same time is reduced.

One important feature, in a plate con-- structed in accordance with my invention, is the ease with which it can be die-cast. ere are no surrounding frame portions on the plate, so that when it cools the ne web ortions can contract without restriction.

onsequently the castings are free from cracks. Perfect zines are thus assured in practically all cases.

ere are various modifications that might be made in the invention, all of which properly come under the claims as equivalents of the parts disclosed herein. While it is advantageous to use triangular shaped veins that merge gradually into the surface of the plate, they nevertheless may be made of any other shape and need not necessarily merge into the surface.

ln the specification l have referred to the plate as being made up of a body portion and two or more bevel portions superposed on it. This is a correct analysis of the plate and was used to facilitate the understanding of the invention, but it will be understood that the plate is cast as one integral piece. lt also could, as a matter of fact, be milled, rolled or stamped from zinc plate.

Having described my invention, what l claim is l. ln electric batteries, .a Hat electrode plate having a side divided into a plurality of plane surfaces, each slanting upward from an outside edge toward an interior point.

2. ln electric batteries, an electrode plate consisting of three integral portions having maximum thiclmess at a central part ot' the plate, two ofe said portions decreasing in thickness toward the opposite sides and the third portion decreasing in thickness toward the bottom, whereby the sides and bottom will be the irst to be dissolved away by the electrochemical action.

3. ln electric batteries, an electrode plate consisting of a body portion diminishing in thickness from top to bottom and a plurality of bevel portions superposed integrally onto said body portion, said bevel portions slanting from a central part of the plate toward the outside edges.

d. in electric batteries, an electrode plate consisting of three portionsA having the maum thickness .at va central part of the plate, two of said portions decreasing 1n thickness toward the opposite side and the third portion decreasing in thicknessv toward the bottom, and strengthening veins extending along the intersecting lines of said portions.

5. In electric batteries, an electrode plate consisting of a body portion diminishing in thickness from top to bottom and having a plurality of bevel portions superposed integrally onto said body portion, said bevel portions slanting from a central part of the plate toward the outside edges, and strengthening veins extending along the intersecting line of said bevel portions.

6. In electric batteries, an electrode consisting of a wedge shaped plate with three portions superposed thereon, having maximum thickness at the central part of the plate, two of said portions decreasing rn thickness toward opposite sides and the third portion decreasing in thickness toward the bottom.

7. In electric batteries, a plate electrode having strengtheni veins extending to the four corners thereo 8. ln electric batteries, a thin electrode plate having strengthening veins extending from an interior point Atoward certain ci the corners and gradually merging into the surface of the plate.

9. ln electric batteries, ay positive plate electrode having strengthening veins of triangular cross section, the altitude ci said triangle being small as compared with the base.

i0. ln electric batteries a positive plate having tapering strengthening veins extending across the surface, said veins being triangular in cross section.

11. ln electric batteries, an electrode plate consisting of a body portion diminishing in thickness from top to bottom and two bevel portions superposed integrally onto said body portion, said bevel portions sla-nting from a central part of the plate to the sides thereof.

12. in electric batteries, an electrode plate consisting of a body portion diminishing in thickness from top to bottom, one of the sides of said body portion being beveled from a central part to the bottom, and two of the intersecting lines of said bevel portions joining the side edges at a point above the two lower corners, whereby said corners will be consumed first in the electrolytic action.

ln testimony whereof, l hereunto a my 

